Character Overview

90210

Season 1

While driving one night, her car collided with fellow student Ethan Ward's after he became distracted in his vehicle. Ethan quickly came to visit her in the hospital. Though the two got off to a friendly start, Rhonda was offended when Ethan didn't recognize her from a class they shared. She then chastised him for being part of a circle that was apparently oblivious to others.

In the coming days, Ethan continued to visit Rhonda, bringing movies and snacks along. In the process of observing her recovery and getting to know a new person, he began to express interest in living life to the fullest and opening himself up to new experiences. This attitude was in contrast to that of his girlfriend Annie, as she continually expressed interest in theater, and resisted Ethan's suggestion to explore other activities as well.

As Rhonda continued to recover, she and Ethan became increasingly friendly. Unbeknownst to Ethan, however, Rhonda was secretly more healed than she'd revealed herself to be—hiding the truth as she grew fond of his visits.
Following her release from the hospital, Rhonda eventually revealed to Ethan that she was more healed than he believed her to be. She then apologized for the charade, explaining her reason for maintaining it. The pair then agreed to be honest with each other from then on. Beforehand, Annie had begun to grow annoyed by the amount of time the two spent with one another.

During a discussion with Annie and Ethan at the Peach Pit, Rhonda revealed that she didn't plan on attending the Valentine's Day dance. When Ethan wondered why, Rhonda relayed a story in which she'd been asked to a previous dance on a secret bet, and then made fun of in public when the truth came out. Afterwards, she'd nearly overdosed on sleeping pills while grieving, but had been found in time by her mother.

After Annie had botched several performances in her theater class, she eventually grew frustrated and used Rhonda's story as material. She then noticed an outraged Ethan looking on from behind her classmates. As Ethan stormed off, Annie followed him and expressed regret for her actions. Still angered, Ethan walked away, and ignored Annie's phone calls throughout the evening.

After going to the Valentine's Day dance alone, Ethan was surprised to find that Rhonda had showed up after all. As the two began talking, he expressed anger toward Annie, and attraction to Rhonda. At the end of the night, Rhonda kissed Ethan in the parking lot. Following a pause, Ethan pulled away, stating that the two of them were just friends and that he had a girlfriend. Confused, Rhonda explained that she'd thought Ethan had broken up with Annie due to the resentment he'd been expressing. She also declared that he'd been eyeing her with romantic affection throughout the evening, and reminded him of the pledge to be honest. Ethan stated that he was sorry if he'd led her on, and the two parted ways after Rhonda drove off.

When a new school day came along, Ethan exchanged quiet glances with both Rhonda and Annie at their lockers.

Rhonda and Ethan(Aimee Teegarden and Dustin Milligan)

After sorting out his feelings, Ethan approached Rhonda and revealed that he still wanted to be friends, but reaffirmed his commitment to Annie. Rhonda, however, stated that they needed to go their separate ways, as she felt too strongly for Ethan to have a mere friendship with him.

Annie later heard about the kiss that Rhonda had given Ethan, which was overseen in the parking lot. She then confronted Rhonda, who relayed that she'd been unaware of Ethan's commitment at the time. Rhonda also told her that she needed to sort the matter out with her boyfriend instead. After leaving Ethan a message, Annie decided to hang out with another boy during a group gathering in a park. When Ethan found the two cuddling, however, he and Annie got into a private argument. While discussing Rhonda, the other boy, and the overall status of their relationship, the pair broke up via Ethan's decision.